To Love a Brother
by ViolaRosa98
Summary: Bumi and his best friend, Haiyang, might as well be brothers, and Bumi and Tenzin *are* brothers — and when one brother needs help, the other comes to his rescue... because that's what it means to love a brother. (This story, which is set in 125 AG, after my story Equality vs. Solidarity, is about broken bones, tumultuous relationships, and, most importantly, brotherhood.)
1. Three Sheets to the Wind

CHAPTER ONE

"These students are improving quickly," Master Esen remarks, watching as the last of his students trickle out of the dojo. "I attribute their quick progress to your help, you know," he adds.

"I'm glad I've been able to help." I bow politely to Master Esen, then sling my duffel bag over my shoulder and turn to leave. I've got one foot out the door when he calls me back.

"How is the United Forces Preparatory School so far, Bumi?"

"It's going well so far, although I'm only two months into the first year, so we haven't gotten to the good stuff yet," I answer. "I thought it'd be more challenging, to be honest, but it's whatever. It's something to do until I'm old enough to enlist without parental permission."

"It'll get more challenging. You've just got to be patient, Bumi," Master Esen chuckles. "When I was an instructor at the UF Army boot camp, I spent more time than I wanted to spend just whipping the recruits into shape. I'd bet the instructors at the UFPS are in the same boat I once was."

"You were in the United Forces?" I ask, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "You told me you were in the Earth Kingdom Army."

"I served in both," my middle-aged master replies, a smirk on his weathered face. "I did twelve years in the Earth Kingdom Army before I was transferred to the UF Army. I was among the United Forces' first batch of volunteers, and I did four years in the UF before the higher-ups asked me to help train the nonbending recruits at the Army boot camp in the Earth Kingdom. I was an instructor for a while, but after eight or so years I grew tired of teenaged recruits not knowing how to throw a punch." He shakes his head. "The nonbending combat styles ought to be cultivated from a young age, just like the bending disciplines — so I retired, moved to the United Republic, and set up this school to do just that."

"Yeah, I've noticed that — that some UFPS students don't even know _to_ protect their core, never mind _how to_. When I square off against them in a drill," I continue, a complacent smirk on my face, "I usually take them down in _seconds_."

"Well, I'm not surprised to hear that you're among the best, Bumi," Master Esen laughs. "I don't ask just _anyone_ to be an assistant teacher, you know."

"I'm aware, sir, and once again, I'm honored to have been chosen."

"You earned it, Bumi." He shoots me a cordial smile, then fishes around in his pants pocket until he finds a couple of yuans, which he then hands me. "Anyway, here's your pay for the week. Enjoy the rest of your night."

I duck out of the dojo with little more than a grateful nod, then drop my duffel bag onto the cold ground and start rummaging through its contents, pushing aside the miscellaneous items — a change of clothes, a pair of boxing gloves, a small first-aid kit, a water bottle, wrist tape, etc. — until I see what I'm looking for: the four bottles of cactus juice I bought on the black market when I accompanied my parents on a diplomacy-related trip to Omashu last week, and the bag of Omashrooms a friend dealt me earlier this week.

I zip the bag up, sling it back over my shoulder, then start walking in the direction of the liquor store closest to Master Esen's dojo, which I haven't stepped foot in since I turned sixteen earlier this month. I've been alternating vendors because I can't risk anyone telling my parents how much alcohol I drink. I've only been the legal drinking age for three weeks, so if my parents ever found out that, with some help from my friends, I've already emptied a couple of six-packs of cheap beer and six liter-sized bottles of liquor, they'd be furious.

I glance down at the crumpled, yellow yuans that I'm holding as I walk around the liquor shop, contemplating which type of liquor would best complement the cactus juice I am _definitely_ not supposed to be mixing with hallucinogenic drugs — and I can't help but feel _glad_ that I'm getting rid of the money. I'd rather stare into an empty shot glass than into the disappointed eyes of my father — even if the only Avatar that knows about my drinking habits is the pink effigy printed on the obverse of the paper yuans.

* * *

"Haiyang!"

"Hello, Bumi."

I add some more cactus juice to my liquor, then take a swig. "Where've you been, bro?" I ask.

He saunters over to where I'm sitting, surrounded by friends, underneath the Silk Road Bridge. "I've been trying to keep _your_ ass out of jail," he answers, not even attempting to mask his hostility.

"What are you talking about?" I inquire.

"You left your jacket at my house when you slept over the other night." He glances down at the coat he's cradling in his arms, then returns his attention to me. "I didn't realize it until Dad gave me a heads-up that he was going to go to Air Temple Island and arrest you for possession… because, y'know, he's a _cop_ , and Omashrooms are _illegal_ in Republic City."

"… not just in the… the city," Ty, an earthbender I met my first week at UFPS, responds. "They're illegal _everywhere_."

"Yeah…" Haiyang shoots Ty a disgusted look, but quickly refocuses his attention on me. "I managed to get Dad to forget about it, but he grounded me to keep me from hanging out with you. He's convinced you're a bad influence," he continues. He chucks my jacket at me, and everyone around me laughs when one of the sleeves smacks me in the face. "You're welcome," he adds.

"For what?"

"Did you hear _anything_ I just said, Bumi?" Haiyang growls. He crouches down so that he's level with me, then glares at me. "You'd be in jail right now if it weren't for me."

"I would not," I respond dismissively. "The Chief of Police is practically my _aunt_ , bro. She would've let me go as soon as she found out that I had been arrested."

"Yeah, but did you forget that anyone in the United Forces Preparatory School who gets arrested gets suspended — and _expelled_ if they're convicted?" he counters.

"You're going to give yourself a heart attack, Haiyang," I chuckle. "I love you, man, but you're neurotic." I take another swig of the cactus juice-infused liquor, then hold the glass out to him. "Here," I offer. "This'll calm your nerves."

"I don't want a sip of your drink, Bumi!" Haiyang yells. "If I get caught drinking, I'll be charged with possession, public intoxication, _and_ underage drinking because I don't turn sixteen until December — and you can be _damn_ sure my parents won't bail me out of jail! They'll leave me to _rot_ in the drunk tank, and I'll lose my spot at the UFPS _and_ my internship at Kya Memorial Hospital!"

"You gotta relax, Haiyang—," Ty starts, shaking his head.

" _Shut up_ , Ty!" Haiyang growls. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh, for Agni's sake, Haiyang, stop being so grouchy," I command. "You're killing the mood."

"I don't care. You've been acting out ever since we graduated from RCPSA, but you've been completely _out of control_ ever since you turned sixteen, Bumi!" he cries. "You're shitfaced 24/7, for Agni's sake!"

"I'm just having some _fun_ , Haiyang," I respond, once I register what he just said. "You ought to try doing the same sometime."

He twists his wrist, bending the alcohol out of my glass; then, with a flick of his wrist, he makes it splash against my face.

"Hey!" I cry. "This shit costs _money_ , Haiyang! You just waterbent part of my paycheck!"

"It doesn't matter," he grumbles. "You're smart, Bumi. You'll find a _free_ way to throw your life away." He turns his back to me and starts to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you—?"

I stumble and, in the process of tripping over nothing but my own two feet, knock over an empty bottle of cactus juice, causing it to shatter.

 _How drunk_ am _I?_ I wonder as I stabilize myself and realize that I can't do anything except stare at Haiyang as he shakes his head at the sight before him.

"This is ridiculous. I'm not hanging out with you again until you get your shit together," he declares.

I scramble to my feet and, with my back against the cold, metallic bridge, watch my best friend walk away.

 _Do I… should I… go after him?_

"Oh, forget 'im, Bumi," Ty instructs. "We don't need 'im." He glances down at the watch on his wrist, then frowns. "We should get going soon, though. You wanna go over the plan one last time before we head over to Aang Memorial Island?"

 _The plan._

I nod.

"I visited Aang Memorial Island last night and left my glider and the lanterns there, in one of the blind spots of the museum's cameras, so I'm all set," I say. "I'll be taking a boat to Aang Memorial Island, and the firebenders can come with me. I stole one of the White Lotus' skiffs to get here earlier, and since the boat has the symbol of the White Lotus on it, it won't draw the attention of the cops patrolling the island.

"If all the waterbenders work together, they should be able to create a bubble big enough to surround themselves and all the earthbenders," I continue. "The bubble will allow you all to walk across the ocean floor. When we've all reached the island, we'll set up — earthbenders on the rocks, waterbenders on the roof of the museum, and firebenders on the extended arm. I'll be in the sky."

"This is gonna be great," Narika, a girl I've been… uh… _talking to_ , smiles. She comes up behind me and wraps her arms loosely around my neck, then leans forward and plants a gentle kiss on my left cheek. "I made sure to tell all my friends at Republic City University to keep an eye on Avatar Aang's statue tonight," she adds, laughing into my ear. "It's gonna be a sight to be seen, that's for sure!"

"I got a look at the pro-bending arena when the train I took here crossed over the bridge near the RCNT," Kazuo, a firebender, says, referring to the Republic City National Theater. "There were about two dozen or so kids hanging out on the roof, waiting." He takes a sip of his drink and smirks. "They're gonna be grateful they've got front-row seats."

"I'll bet."

"You're sure you can fly, Bumi?"

I glance at Ty, who asked the question, then look up at the cloudless, star-littered sky. I've got some doubts due to the fact that the wind isn't all that strong tonight, but I'll be damned if I chicken out now. "I've done it a million times before," I say.

It's true. I _have_ done this a million times before. I've wrecked a couple of gliders, but it doesn't matter because Uncle Sokka, who learned from the gliders' original engineer, taught me how to build them. When I wreck one, I just build another and get right back to pretending to be an airbender.

I down the contents of a bottle of beer in one big gulp, crush it in my hand, and throw it on the ground, then turn to the all-bender group. "C'mon," I say. "Let's go make my dad's statue glow."

* * *

"Whoa!" Ty exclaims as Narika propels herself, him, and another earthbender onto Aang Memorial Island via a water spout. "You've got 'im glowing already!"

"How did you get the lanterns to stay in the eye sockets?" Narika asks me.

I glance up at Dad's face — or, more accurately, at Dad's effigy's face — and watch the birds that circle it until a strange light that kind of resembles a shooting star whizzes through the sky. I wait to see if someone will mention it, and when no one does I dismiss it as a cactus juice- and Omashrooms-induced hallucination. "I stuck grappling hooks above the eyes, then tied together the hooks' ropes and the strings used to hang the lanterns," I answer. "It was easy."

"Do you think it'll hold?" Kazuo asks.

I glance upwards again and see that although the blue, circular paper lanterns are swaying slightly due to the autumn breeze, they aren't swaying too far from the center of the eyes. "Yeah, I think so." I return my attention to my friends. "Okay, let's get this ball rolling. Does everyone remember their positions?"

"Yeah."

I glance out at Yue Bay and see that the patrol boat that guards Aang Memorial Island 24/7 is about fifty feet from the island, as well as completely still. The idea that the cops/guards are likely fast asleep calms me, and I jump up and attempt to grab onto the top of the doors to the museum on which Dad's statue stands so that I can hoist myself onto the roof. I guess I'm seeing double, though, because all I grab hold of is air.

"Come down here, Bumi!" Ty yells. "I'll give you a lift up. We'll be here all night if your drunk ass has to climb this shit."

I jump down, and as I fall I realize that I didn't grab my glider before I started climbing.

 _I guess I'm more drunk than I thought_ , I think, grabbing my glider and walking over to Ty.

He stomps the ground and raises his hands upwards, lifting me and all of the firebenders to the top of the giant statue. I step onto Dad's bald head as Kazuo and the other firebenders jump down onto his extended arm.

"Okay, on my mark!" I call as I get into position and ignore the almost-blinding glow of the small, blue lanterns I fastened to the glider's body so that I will create the whitish-blue glow that actual airbending does. "One… two… three… _now_!"

I'm around benders _all the time_ , but the power they possess never ceases to amaze me — and I can't help but watch, awestruck, as a stream of fire so big and so bright it'd put Sozin's Comet to shame shoots along the statue's arm and beyond its fist before morphing into a ring around its torso; as one giant wave after another materializes, as if the ocean itself were stretching out its fingers to strangle me, then join the ring of fire encircling Dad's body; and as the foundation of the island itself cracks, giving rise to mini, mobile mountains which, within seconds, consolidate to form a third elemental ring around Dad's body. I stare at the spectacle, in awe that Dad possesses all this power _and more_ and acutely aware of how comparably powerless I am.

"C'mon, Bumi! We need air!"

 _Oh shit, that's right. Okay._

I jump off the statue's head and, since I love the feeling of the wind on my face, allow the air currents to carry me for a couple of seconds; then, by shifting my center of gravity, I guide the glider downwards, until I'm surrounded by a gimbal and have to weave in between axes formed from water, fire, and earth just to stay alive.

The water dampens the cold night air and makes me realize how dry my mouth is, and the fire illuminates the dark sky, putting even the stars to shame. It heats the air, and I can feel and see the hungry flames eating away at the twine that ties to the glider's body the strap that secures my legs to the glider's frame and keeps me parallel to the hand-crafted structure. The _really_ dangerous element, though, is earth — the element opposite to the one this modified glider lets me pretend I control. The ring of rocks blocks the majority of the air currents, leaving me defenseless in my fight against gravity — but I don't realize that I'm falling until I slam against the metallic lotus flower on which Dad's left foot rests.

I attempt to get up, but I just fall onto — and then off — the roof of the museum, then into the turbulent water of Yue Bay. It's blood-red, as if all the fish in the bay have been impaled, and the deeper I sink, the darker the water gets. I order myself to swim to the surface, but the waves smother me.

I glance around in an attempt to gauge how deep I've sunk, but all I see is blackness — and that's when I realize that my eyes are closed, that I drank so much I'm crashing.

 _If I'm falling asleep…_ I reason, _probably all of my friends are too drunk and high to realize what's going on, which means that… that…_ I'm going to drown _._


	2. In My Mother's Eyes

CHAPTER TWO

"Mmnn…"

"Bumi? It's me, honey. You're okay. N—no, don't sit up! You need to rest."

"I need to _puke_ ," I argue.

I vomit into the garbage can whoever's with me places in my lap, then, after a couple of minutes, lift my head above its rim and glance around so as to gauge my surroundings. I've got bandages wrapped around my sides and a damp towel loosely draped around my neck, and I'm laying on the bed in my room in the boys' dormitory. There are two bowls on my bedside table, one containing lukewarm water and one containing mixed nuts, as well as a glass of lychee juice.

I grab the glass of lychee juice and down the juice in one large gulp, grateful that I've got something other than alcohol to drink; then I set the glass back down on the nightstand and grab a handful of nuts. I'm starving, and there's nothing I want more right now than to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth.

My mother, who's sitting on a chair beside my bed, takes the garbage can off my lap and sets it back down on the floor. "How are you feeling, Bumi?" she inquires.

"I'm _dandy_ ," I answer sarcastically. "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

I attempt to recall last night's events as I chew on a couple of nuts. "I remember that the rocks were blocking the wind, and that the fire was burning through the twine on my glider… and I was falling. I fell… I fell into the water." I shoot Mom a curious look, one eyebrow raised. "I was drowning. How did I…?"

"Haiyang and someone I didn't recognize brought you here," she informs me, answering my unfinished question.

"Who?"

"I don't know," Mom shrugs. "It didn't even occur to me to ask her what her name was. I remember she was wearing a purple dress and dark leggings, though. She was pretty."

"Ya got that right," I smile. "Narika's beautiful." I lean back against the pillows propped up behind me, then register the name of the other person Mom mentioned. "Wait! Haiyang—." I lean forward, which causes a sharp pain to shoot through my ribcage.

"You fractured two of your ribs when you fell onto the lotus petal," Mom explains. "I've been working on your injuries while you've been sleeping. I managed to heal your ribs, but your side is going to be sore for a while," she adds as she guides me back down. "I can try to alleviate some of the pain now, if you want."

"It's okay." I bite my lower lip so hard I draw blood, and the metallic taste makes me grimace. "I'm fine." I take a second to compose myself, then return my attention to Mom. "What did you mean when you said Haiyang helped bring me here?" I ask. "He wasn't even with us. He refused to help us."

"Well, from what that girl told me—."

"Narika."

"Yes, Narika. It was hard to understand her because she was drunk… although she wasn't nearly as drunk as _you_ were." She shoots me a pointed look, and I can't help but wither under her disapproving stare. "You were already out cold when she pulled you out of the water. She said she saw you fall and that you'd hit your head." She gestures to me, and only now do I notice that bandages are wrapped around my head like a headband. "She couldn't stop the bleeding, so she and whoever else you two were with took you across the bay, to the city. They went to Haiyang's house for some reason."

"They probably didn't want to get—." _Arrested for being drunk in public and for having cactus juice and Omashrooms in their systems._ "—in trouble," I finish simply.

"You're probably right," Mom agrees. She shoots me a look that tells me she has a good idea of what we were all on and that she doesn't approve of my use of the illegal substances, then continues. "Anyway, after Haiyang tried and failed to heal you, he and Narika brought you here. They made such a commotion the White Lotus sentries didn't even need to wake your father and me; we woke up on our own."

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "I, uh… didn't mean for any of this to happen." I glance around the room, then turn back towards Mom. "Is… is, uh, Haiyang still here?" I ask hopefully as hazy memories of our fight start to flood my mind.

"No," Mom answers. She shakes her head for emphasis, and the sight makes my own head hurt. "He left a couple of minutes after your father and I took you inside. He said that his dad would kill him if he found out that he'd come here." She shoots me another pointed look. "Why would he say that, Bumi?" she asks, her tone less than gentle.

"He, uh… got in trouble because of me," I answer reluctantly. "He's not allowed to hang out with me anymore."

"I see."

"You're not even going to ask why?" I ask, unsure whether I'm offended or relieved.

"I don't have to. I'm sure it's because of all the stupid — not to mention _illegal_ — stunts you've been orchestrating lately," Mom responds. She lays her hand on top of mine and shoots me a look that's equal parts concerned and exasperated. "What were you _thinking_ , Bumi?" She shakes her head again. "You almost… you almost _died_ , Bumi," she adds, her voice cracking on those last four words. "You almost killed yourself."

"I didn't mean to."

"You didn't _mean_ to?" Mom growls. "You're a smart boy, Bumi. I don't understand why you never use that brain of yours to consider the consequences of your actions."

"Well, we needed an airbender — or a make-believe airbender — so unless you wanted your precious six-year-old to be the one to—."

"Stop right there."

"What?"

" _You_ are precious to me, too, darling." She leans forward to brush my semi-sweaty hair out of my face, and I can't help but notice the stark contrast between her gentle caress and my pounding, hangover-induced headache. "I don't want _either_ of you doing… well, stupid things like that stunt you pulled last night."

I don't respond.

"Bumi—," she starts, sighing.

"I get it, Mom. I stupidly endangered myself and others, and you're disappointed in me. It won't happen again. You can skip the lecture."

"I wasn't going to lecture you, Bumi. I was going to ask you a question."

I close my eyes and brace myself not for a question, but for an interrogation. "What?"

"What's gotten into you lately?" She squeezes my hand, tighter and tighter, until I open my eyes and meet her gaze. "You've always been… _rambunctious_ … but these past couple of months…"

 _This sounds like Haiyang's lecture_ , I groan silently.

"You've never been a bad child, Bumi, but you've been coming home at all hours of the night for months now. You're hungover almost every morning, and last night you were drunk and on cactus juice and I don't even want to know what else," she continues. "What is going on with you? Why are you acting out?"

"I'm bored."

"You're _bored_?"

"Yes."

She shoots me a look that makes it abundantly clear she's unconvinced, but I don't say anything else… until I see that she's going to lecture me. When she opens her mouth, I snap.

"You're holding me back!" I yell accusingly. "You promised me you wouldn't anymore, but you still are! You're not letting me join the United Forces, even though I'm more than ready! You enrolled me in the UFPS, like I'm some _child_ who needs to be taught how to use a knife so that I can eat with the grown-ups, and in doing that, you're preventing me from becoming who I want to be!" I stop for a second to catch my breath, but continue before Mom can even open her mouth to respond. "I'll admit that there are still things I need to learn, but what I still need to learn cannot be taught at the academy, Mom. I already know everything the instructors at the academy have taught us so far. The cardio and strength exercises we do barely make me sweat, and I've beaten all of the other first-year students — even the benders — in drills. The UFPS isn't challenging me, and I'm _bored_ , dammit! I'm _bored_ and I'm _mad_ and I'm doing _whatever I can_ to forget that I'm still in Republic City and to kill time until I turn eighteen and can join the UF _with or without_ your permission!"

When I stop ranting, I realize just how hungover I am right now. My head is pounding as hard and as loudly as if someone were jackhammering my brain.

"Oh, Bumi…" Mom murmurs. She goes to squeeze my hand again, but I yank it away.

"If you really want to join the UF _right now_ ," she continues, sighing a bit, "give me the consent form. I'll sign it."

I stare at her, incredulous, as I attempt to recall where I put that damned consent form. "You will?" I marvel. "Really?"

"Yes, really. However," she adds, making me groan, "I asked you to attend the academy and to postpone enlisting for a reason — and it's not because I don't think you're ready, Bumi. I _know_ you're ready. You're a competent, skilled fighter, and more importantly, you're brave, creative, and intelligent. You would do well in battle. You'd survive — day after day, you would survive. I, of course, _hate_ the idea of someone trying to kill you — and there _will_ be people who will try to kill you — but I'm confident you can handle whatever comes your way. _Nonetheless_ ," she continues, shooting me an indecipherable look, "I asked you to attend the academy because graduates of the preparatory school can become admirals, whereas enlisted men can only rank so high."

"I…" I can't help but stare at her. "I never even thought about that."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," Mom replies, smirking. "I love you, Bumi, but you're one of the most impatient people I know — and I don't want doors to be closed to you because of that. I want you to be able to reach your potential." She lays her hand on top of mine again and smiles warmly. "If, however, you still want to join the UF _right now_ … well, I'll sign the consent form."

I consider her words for a minute, then respond. "I'll… wait. I'll stay at the academy," I decide. "I mean, 'Admiral Bumi' _does_ have a nice ring to it…"

"That it does."

"Do you support me, then?" I ask… before I can chicken out of doing so. "I mean, in my decision to join the military?"

"Yes, of course," she answers. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, when I first talked to you and Dad about it a couple of months ago, neither one of you seemed exactly… _on board_ with the idea," I say. "Dad even turned _green_ ," I add, sighing.

"He's just… well… all your father knows about the subject is that soldiers participate in war, which he's seen more than enough of. He just needs to be reminded that soldiers bring peace, too — not just death and destruction, like those Fire Nation soldiers did all those years ago," Mom explains. " _I_ understand what it means to be a soldier, though, Bumi, as at the heart of Water Tribe culture is _warrior_ culture. My grandfather, Pakku, helped defend the Northern Water Tribe during the Fire Nation's Siege of the North, as well as reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth Kingdom. My father, Hakoda, was the greatest warrior in our village and the leader of our tribe's expeditionary force — and when he left to fight in the war, Sokka assumed the job of training the younger boys in our village to be warriors. He even fought Zuko one-on-one when he first invaded our village, looking for your father." She chuckles at the memory, then returns her cordial gaze to me. "I have a deep respect for our men and women in uniform, Bumi. When you told us you wanted to join the United Forces, I was… well, terrified, but also excited. It's a great career choice for you, and I can only imagine the contributions you're going to make and the lives you're going to save.

"It's the most noble profession you can go into," she continues. "I can't think of anything more selfless than consciously choosing, day after day, to put your life on the line — to stare death in the face and do whatever it takes to make sure you're not the one who blinks first. I don't even want to _think_ about the enormous sacrifices you're going to have to make," she adds, closing her eyes and shaking her head. When she opens them again, those sapphire orbs are sparkling in a way I've never seen them sparkle before — not when she's talking to me, at least. "You're so brave, Bumi," she says. "You're choosing to help save the world when you don't have to. You're not your father, who was _destined_ to save the world, or your brother, who's _obligated_ to help the next Avatar and, by consequence, save the world. You are _you_ , and you are _choosing_ to do the scariest but also the _noblest_ thing in the world. And I am so incredibly _proud_ of and _excited_ for you."

"You're… not lying," I murmur. "The… that look in your eyes right now… it's the same look you get whenever Kya says something about wanting to become the world's greatest healer or Dad tells you about how quickly Tenzin's progressing with airbending and how he's going to be a great teacher for the next Avatar. It's… worry, but… mostly _pride_."

"I'm so proud of you, Bumi," Mom says. She brushes her finger against my cheek and smiles. "I've always _been_ proud of you, and I'll always _be_ proud of you… because even though you've got a mouth as dangerous as a saber-toothed moose-lion, you've got a heart of gold." She gently pokes me in the chest, and I can't help but smile as her smile widens. "You're going to, as a soldier, face horrors that your father and siblings and I don't even want to think about, never mind live through… but you're also going to do amazing things that we can all only dream about doing — only wish we were _brave_ and _capable_ enough to do. I can't wait to see what you do with your life, Bumi. I'm eager to see how you carry out our legacies, but I'm even more excited to see what legacy you leave for yourself — not as the son of the Avatar, but as _Bumi_ , the great United Forces officer."

I close my eyes again in an attempt to keep the tears building up in them from spilling down my cheeks. I fail, but Mom just wipes them away with her thumb.

"Yeah… that's all I want to do," I say, opening my eyes and gazing into Mom's. She's got a couple of crinkles at the edges of her doe-like eyes — a sign of forty years' worth of wear and tear. "I want to make you and Dad proud of me by carrying out your legacies and keeping the world safe, and in the process, I want to leave a legacy of my own. I don't want the world to forever see me as the Avatar's son, or as the Avatar's _nonbending_ son. I want…" I pause to wipe away the tears that are slipping down Mom's cheeks, then continue. "I want people to look at me and… see what I think you see."

"They will, Bumi." She squeezes my hand again and smiles at me semi-wistfully. "I'm… I'm aware that you often feel like you got the short end of the stick, but you're lucky, Bumi," she says. "You're lucky because you're free, in a way your siblings aren't, to be your own person. I mean, your sister will always be compared to me, and your brother will always be compared to your father — but you, my son, can be compared to no one, and no one can compare to you. You are a character all your own — and I am already in love with the man you're becoming."

She stands up and, after brushing a few strands of hair off my face, gives me a gentle kiss on my forehead — or, more accurately, on the bandages covering my forehead. "Okay, I think it's time I leave you alone to rest," she says. "I love you, Bumi."

She stops once she reaches the door to turn around and look at me, and I shoot her a confused look. "What?" I ask.

" _Lay off the liquor_ ," she orders… in the most mom-like voice I've ever heard.

"Yes, ma'am," I promise before sending her off with a salute and a sheepish grin.


	3. Slippery Slopes

**Author's Note: When I told my friend Ramos that I couldn't figure out what could cause Bumi to fall off the temple's tower, he suggested that it be raining, so shout-out to him for that brilliant idea! (If y'all want to follow him, he's themeatandsarcasmguy on Instagram.) Oh, and just an FYI to all my followers: I don't know how quickly I'll be able to get the next chapter(s) up. I'm moving to the Netherlands in a couple of days, and I'm going to need a while to acclimate myself. I'll do my best to continue updating regularly, though! :)**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

 _"Well, well, look at what the royal barge dragged ashore."_

 _The princess, ignoring my joke, greeted me with a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. "Hello, Bumi," she said, handing her suitcase to the obsequious Air Acolyte standing beside her. "It's been a while," she added, pulling me into a tight hug._

 _"It's nice to see you again, Princess," I said as I withdrew from her warm embrace and tucked behind her ear one of the two thick locks of black hair that frame the sides of her face._

The rooster-pigeon closest to me squawks.

"I agree," I sigh, turning to look at the bird and scratch its little head. "I wish she was still here, too," I add as a cold and particularly strong breeze passes over the island. It's the sort of breeze that heralds a storm of moderate intensity, and it scares both of the cranefish and some of the rooster-pigeons on the roof into seeking refuge closer to the ground. I dig the heels of my feet into the six-sided, steel-blue roof of the temple's tower's attic, but don't budge otherwise.

 _"What's your, uh…_ situation _… looking like these days?" I asked, doing my best to sound calm and casual and utterly failing because the last I'd heard from Izumi, she was "talking to" the seventeen-year-old son of a Fire Nation nobleman… and I didn't want to lose her to some Fire Nation blowhard._

 _"It's barely been a year since I came of age, Bumi," the princess answered, rolling her eyes at me lightheartedly. "I'm not engaged yet!"_

 _I didn't respond._

 _She sighed, but her dark red lips quickly curled upwards into another smile. "You caught me in between gentleman callers, okay?"_

 _"And these gentleman callers…?" I prompted, desperate to know who I was competing against._

 _"… all bore me to death," Izumi finished. "I'm not even joking. I was on my way to ask the Fire Sages if they could show me where in the Dragonbone Catacombs I'm gonna be buried when Dad brought me the good news that we'd been invited to your coming-of-age ceremony."_

I can't help but laugh at that memory. She was so serious.

 _"I did meet_ one _semi-interesting guy," the princess continued, "but I didn't agree to a second date with him because I felt like if I did, I'd be robbing a cradle."_

 _"Do you have a problem with dating someone younger than you, Princess?" I joked._

 _"You know I don't," she replied, eyeing me lasciviously as we started walking away from the dock. "However, fourteen is young — even for me." We laughed, and she continued. "He was a sweet boy, though. He was born in the Fire Nation, but he lives here because his mother is the Fire Nation's representative on the United Republic Council." She stopped and shot me a curious look. "Do you know a kid called Kuro?" she asked._

 _"Well, I'm not close with him or anything like that, but we know each other," I answered. "He goes to RCPSA, just like I did, and we see each other at functions every now and then."_

 _"I see," Izumi said. "He's a good kid — but that's the problem: he's a kid," she continued. "I told him to give me a call when he hits puberty."_

 _"I hope you're joking," I laughed._

 _"I'm not." She giggled, then continued. "I'll admit that wasn't the most…_ tactful _… thing I could've said, but it doesn't really matter. I have my heart set on someone else."_

 _"Oh? Who?" I inquired, shooting her a knowing look and slinging my arm around her waist._

 _"This loud-mouthed, troublemaking boy with a lopsided grin and long, wild hair," she answered… immediately before she shoved me behind a bush and planted her full, ruby-red lips on mine._

The subsequent evening, aristocrats and nobles from all over the world swarmed Air Temple Island, their teenaged daughters in tow, for my coming-of-age ceremony. I had never seen the island as crowded as it was then, and standing on the dais as my parents praised me, as is customary at a coming-of-age ceremony, was both awkward and endearing.

It only took a minute or so for Dad to thank everyone for coming, and once he had, he began his speech. He started with an anecdote about the time he first took me to throw fruit pies, a popular Air Nomad dessert, at some of the stuffier Air Acolytes, and became both embarrassed and proud upon realizing that although I was just four years old, my aim was better than his. He reminisced about a couple of other fun times we shared, then ended his speech by praising my creativity, my intelligence, and my loyalty.

When Dad stopped talking, Mom began. She started by relaying the non-combat-related skills I possess: I can duplicate almost any bird call; I'm a competent engineer, a master flutist, and a natural leader; and I'm good at reading maps and public speaking. She then described the combat-related skills I possess — boxing, chi blocking, hunting, kickboxing, knife-throwing, Morse code fluency, sailing, sword fighting, tracking, wrestling, etc. — and listed the weapons I can wield, including but not limited to boomerangs, clubs, dual broadswords, jawbone daggers, jian swords, knives, and machetes. She commented on some of my recent accomplishments — like earning the mark of the brave during my ice dodging test, being selected as an assistant teacher at Master Esen's dojo, graduating from Republic City Park Senior Academy with all As, and being accepted into the United Forces Preparatory School — then concluded her speech by saying how proud of me she is.

When she finished singing my praises, the Air Acolytes set off the blue, orange, purple, and white fireworks we had bought for the occasion, and I stepped up to the front of the dais. As is customary, I bowed before my parents, then turned to face the horde of teenaged girls, all hoping that I would choose them as my partner for my first dance as an eligible bachelor.

I chose Izumi.

I walked off the dais and towards the princess like the dignified nobleman I am, but the second Izumi accepted my outstretched hand, I couldn't help but allow my lips to curl up into the lopsided grin that betrays my inner wild child.

We ambled over to the center of the airbending training area, then, as the music picked up, began doing the foxtrot. I could feel the heat of everyone's attention on us and I could see, out of the corner of my eyes, the flashing of the reporters' cameras, but what I chose to focus on was the way Izumi's ruby-colored gown billowed out until it was as full as the moon every time I lifted my arm and twirled her 'round and 'round.

When the beat started to slow down, I dipped Izumi down with it. I brought her back up and, as the music trailed off, spun her towards me and kissed her. I maintained the kiss until the applause died down, then, with a gentle kiss to the back of her hand and a slight nod of my head to signal to her that I'd come back for her later, let her go and dashed off to dance with the other girls in attendance.

I sought the princess out once I'd finished making rounds, and we managed to share a couple more dances before things began winding down. I had to leave her alone again so I could tell my parents the names of the girls I found most desirable, but as soon as I saw them approach the parents of the girls whose names I had given them, I returned to Izumi. We ducked out of the party, ditched our formal garb behind a boulder just past the entrance to the bamboo forest on the northeastern side of the island, and ran, naked except for our undergarments, through the bamboo stalks and down the forested cliffside, until we found ourselves at the little kidney-shaped pool of bay water located beneath the meditation pavilion and beside Air Temple Island's crescent-shaped, easternmost cliff.

We peeled off our undergarments with all the speed of an eel hound, then spent the next couple of hours skinny dipping. We went back — fully clothed, of course — around one o'clock in the morning to say goodnight to our parents, and once the lights in my parents' room went off, I snuck over to the girls' dormitory to see Izumi. We spent the rest of the night making love, and the only reason I snuck back to the boys' dormitory upon daybreak was because I was afraid of what would happen if Dad discovered that I wasn't there when he came over to wake up Tenzin and the male Air Acolytes for morning meditation.

The rest of the time Uncle Zuko, Aunt Mai, and Izumi stayed with us was spent similarly. I spent every afternoon showing the princess around Republic City, and every night proving once again that I don't need to be a firebender to make a girl's loins burn with desire — and, contrary to popular belief, I enjoyed our daytime and nighttime bonding activities equally.

I can't help but love Izumi. She has gorgeous amber eyes and a pearly smile that puts the stars to shame, but more importantly, she's got enough brains to give Wan Shi Tong a run for his money; a mouth so witty she can make even my ever-serious little brother crack a smile; and a touch more comforting than my mother's kiss. She enthralls me like no one and nothing else can; everything she does charms me, and everything she says interests me. She's always challenging me and, using my love of competitions against me, _daring_ me to better myself. She feeds off my energy like I feed off of hers, and whenever we're together, we're either as calm as a campfire or as incendiary as the colorful flames created by the ancient dragons, Ran and Shaw.

I don't mean to imply that Izumi is the only girl who can brighten my day, though, because she's not. While I'd rather be with her than anyone else because conversation comes more easily with the princess than with anyone else, I very much enjoy the company of the fairer sex — and if rumors are to be believed, girls very much enjoy my company, too. The best — or most recent, at least — example I can think of is Narika, who, as the daughter of Republic City's Fire Chief, was one of the girls in attendance at my coming-of-age ceremony.

I'm not in love with Narika, but after spending almost every night in the past two weeks with her, I can honestly say that I genuinely enjoy her company. She's convinced that all time not spent having fun is wasted time, but also that there's no wrong way to have fun — and her attitude towards life fascinates me because it's somehow simultaneously flexible and _in_ flexible. It was a bit difficult to wrap my head around at first… but Narika has a habit of saying things that make people question everything they've ever thought. It's an attractive habit, but it's also somewhat annoying because whenever she outwits someone, a reckless gleam appears in her dark blue eyes and her lips curl upwards into this complacent smirk, as if she's silently betting whoever she's talking to won't be brave enough to test out her theory — which I, as a betting man, feel compelled to do. When I tell her I'll take her bet, she laughs; and because her laugh sounds like windchimes, I do whatever it takes to make her laugh again.

We often get into trouble when we hang out together, but I don't mind. I enjoy spending time with Narika. There's something about our connection, however, that's just… _explosive_. We are never _just_ together; we're always _doing something_ together… and usually, that _something_ is carnal in nature. The vast majority of our dates end with us lying naked on my bed, with Narika's head on my chest and her hand on my stomach, playing with the dark hair along my love trail.

We don't talk after we fuck, like Izumi and I do; we just lay there, satiated and semi-sweaty, our hair messy and our hearts racing, in complete silence. Conversation doesn't come as easily with Narika as it does with Izumi.

 _Izumi._

I can't help but feel like I'm cheating on Izumi by being with Narika, or like I'm cheating on Narika by thinking about Izumi — but I'm not dating either one of them. I'm not doing anything wrong… yet when Narika showed up here earlier to see how I'm doing, I panicked, as if she had caught me two-timing her — even though all I was doing was sharpening my knives.

 _Is it even possible to cheat on someone who you aren't dating?_

"Bumi?"

 _What?_

"What are you _doing_ up there, Bumi?"

I slide down to the bottom of the tower's roof and, after peering over the edge, let out a hearty laugh because my six-year-old brother looks smaller than an ant. "Hey, Tenzin. Where're Dad and all of the stick-in-the-mud monks?" I ask.

He answers the question, but his response is lost somewhere in the 100+ feet between us. "You're gonna have to speak up!" I yell.

"They're in the dining hall!" he yells back, gesturing to the nearby dining hall. "You didn't see them leave the temple?"

"No," I reply as a rooster-pigeon lands on my shoulder. "I was… _distracted_ ," I add, reaching up to scratch the bird's head.

"You shouldn't be up there, Bumi," Tenzin admonishes me. "It's dangerous. You could fall." He cocks his head at me. "How did you even get up there?"

"I _climbed_ up here, brainiac," I respond, rolling my eyes and swinging my legs over the edge of the roof.

"You climbed _all the way up there_?"

"Yeah. I didn't get these muscles just sitting around the house," I add, rolling up my right sleeve and flexing my bicep.

The gesture is lost on the six-year-old, who has a good understanding of baguazhang, but no understanding whatsoever of myology.

"You should come down, Bumi," Tenzin urges. "It's supposed to rain."

"Meh. I've been up here for an hour now and it hasn't—." A drop of water lands on my head. "—rained," I finish, looking up at the sky. I watch as a couple of raindrops seep out of the clouds above me and start their descent towards the ground.

"You were saying?"

"I guess I should climb down…" I concede, turning around so that I'm facing the steel-blue roof of the temple's tower. I grab onto its golden edge and, slowly, lower myself until I can scrape the tip of the next roof — the one just below the attic — with my toes. I jump down onto it, then get into position again. It's difficult to get good footing because the roofs are slanted, but I'm resourceful enough to realize that I can use the heads of the window frames as a mid-point of sorts between the roofs. I'm in the process of lowering myself onto the tower's second-story roof when my foot slips off the window frame, causing me to fall.

"Bumi!" Tenzin screeches, airbending himself up onto the roof of the second story of the three-story temple.

I got the wind knocked out of me when I slipped, so I can't even scream as I whiz past the first two stories of the tower, towards the cold, hard ground.

"What the—?"

 _Dad?_

The temple's third story whizzes by, and I cover my face and head with my arms, bracing myself for the potentially fatal collision with the ground — but as I zoom past the second story, a cushion of air forms beneath me. I land on my side on the platform-like roof of the temple's first story; my brother hops down a second later.

"Bumi!" he cries. "Are you okay?!"

"Mmnn…"

"Bumi! Tenzin!" Dad shouts, airbending himself up to where we are. "What happened?"

I clutch my aching side — it's only been two days since Mom healed my fractured ribs — and struggle to sit upright, then glance at Tenzin. He's nervously standing over me, his little fists buried in and toying with his orange shawl. "Tenzin…" I start, turning my attention to Dad, "just saved my life."

"What? What are you talking about?"

I stagger to my knees and pull my baby brother into a hug. He squirms about for a second, but quickly settles down and returns the embrace.

"I just made an air cushion," Tenzin mumbles. "I… I didn't know what else to do…"

I watch Dad as he shifts his attention between me, Tenzin, and the temple, assessing the situation, and then, as realization dawns on him, breaks into a smile. "You did exactly what you needed to do, Tenzin," he says. He lays one hand on Tenzin's shoulder, then turns towards me and shoots me a worried look. "Are you okay, Bumi?" he asks.

"M—my… side," I stammer.

"Can you stand?"

"Ye—." I start to stand up, but I immediately fall back down onto my knees. "No."

"Aw, was my air cushion not strong enough?" Tenzin interjects in a whiny voice.

"You did what you could, Tenzin," Dad replies, dodging the question. "You did what you could, and you saved your brother's life. That's what matters."

He crouches down and, wrapping one arm under my armpits and the other under my legs, scoops me up into his arms. "We need to bring you to your mother. Tenzin," Dad adds, turning to look at Tenzin again, "go inside and tell Mommy to meet us in Bumi's room immediately."

I watch Tenzin create an air scooter, but turn my attention back towards Dad once T. starts racing towards the house.

"Y'know, Bumi," Dad continues, chuckling slightly as he starts walking in the direction of the boys' dormitory, "you take after your namesake in a lot of ways, but you love heights just as much as you love the sea, and that just goes to show that you're Air Nomad and Water Tribe through and through."

I smile upon hearing Dad acknowledge that I'm part Air Nomad, but I can't ignore the bit of heartache that comes from understanding _why_ that acknowledgement means so much to me: I'm not an airbender.

 _If it weren't for Tenzin…_

Well, let's just say that the bald-headed dweeb's "gift" comes in handy sometimes.

 _I'm gonna have to figure out a way to repay him…_ I realize.

… _as soon as Mom heals me, that is!_ I add silently, wincing as Dad adjusts the way he's carrying me so that he can open the door to the boys' dormitory. _The air cushion Tenzin made me may have saved my life, but that fall still hurt a lot!_


End file.
